OCEAN CITY, Md. -- The resort town is still working to hire enough drivers and conductors for the boardwalk trams. With the summer season officially upon us, the clock is ticking.
The Fourth of July, one of Ocean City's busiest times, is less than two weeks away. So the rush to hire more tram drivers and conductors is on. The town still needs to fill roughly 8 spots for each position.
It means as of right now, fewer trams will be seen on the boardwalk. Rick Meehan, the towns mayor, said it all trickles down to the difficulty of finding workers, even after boosting pay and offering signing bonuses.
"It's really part time employees all together, it's becoming more and more difficult to find part time employees to fill numerous positions in the town of Ocean City," said Meehan.
The town offers a starting salary of $15.91 an hour and a signing bonus of $250 after the first 80 hours worked. Both incentives became official earlier this year, however, the hiring struggle continues.
In a statement provided to WBOC, Hal Adkins, Ocean City's Public Works Director, acknowledged how important the boardwalk tram is for vacationers. He also touched on the staffing shortage: "We own 8 tram units but are struggling to deploy them all due to the lack of a sufficient number of drivers and conductors."
One person who knows the value of the tram all too well is Ocean City's Director of Tourism, Tom Perlozzo.
"When they come and get the nostalgia of our boardwalk and have an opportunity to ride the trams, there's nothing like it," said Perlozzo.
As for why the town has had such a tough go at finding drivers and conductors, Meehan said the job comes with its challenges. Drivers must maneuver through one of Ocean City's most crowded areas.
The staffing shortage has brought with it difficulties for current employees.
"It's challenging and some are working overtime to provide the service, but if we could fill that staff it would make it much easier and much better for us," said Meehan.
To help fill the void, the town has ramped up their recruitment.
"We're trying to make sure people know the job is available, through social media and through our advertising and through all of our posting," said Meehan.
Those efforts can be seen throughout town, including the Convention Center and on the backs of all boardwalk trams.
Meehan said the hiring efforts will continue throughout the summer. With a lack of tram drivers being an issue year in and year out, the town will look into more incentives or pay raises to make the job more attractive.